


Red Shirt, Black Tie

by Gaygent37



Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cinderella Fusion, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Crack Treated Seriously, Crack to Fluff, Dick is embarrassingly forward, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fairy Tale Curses, Falling In Love, Fluff and Humor, Jason can't control his tentacles, Jason's red shirt black tie ensemble, M/M, Making Out, Modern Day Fairytales, Mutual Pining, Physical Abuse, Shy Jason, Tentacuddles, but from the prince's pov, jason has tentacles again, no capes AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-30
Updated: 2019-01-30
Packaged: 2019-10-19 07:18:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17596871
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gaygent37/pseuds/Gaygent37
Summary: Dick is at his 25th birthday party, one that lasts three nights because Bruce really wants Dick to meet theone.Instead, Dick meets a shy, mysterious, and extremely handsome young man. The nights are gone in a whirlwind, and Dick realized that he had fallen in love without even knowing the his lover's name.~Or where Jason is actually a fucking Disney princess. With tentacles.





	Red Shirt, Black Tie

“Not enjoying the party?” Damian drawled, walking over to Dick with a smirk. “It’s your twenty-fifth, for the _third_ year in a row.” A few girls in the group nearby turned to look at them.

Dick rolled his eyes. “Don’t be an asshole, Dami,” he said tiredly.

Damian leaned up against the wall next to Dick anyway. “But seriously,” he said. “You’re supposed to be socializing.”

“I don’t want to,” Dick whined softly. “It’s so boring! All people want to do is introduce me to their barely legal daughters or twirl me around so they can stare at my ass when I spin,” he grumbled.

Damian hummed. “No one catches your attention here?”

“No,” Dick said. “Same boring people who attend _every_ party or gala Bruce throws. It’s not going to be different. And who the hell even throws birthday parties that are three days long anymore? It’s not like I’m looking for a wife or something.”

“Father mentioned you should start finding someone to settle down with soon.”

“I’m _twenty-five_ , Dami,” Dick said. “I’m too young for this!”

“Father adopted you at twenty.”

“And I don’t see him married yet,” Dick pointed out.

Damian shrugged. “Father feels it important to entertain the idea of being unattainable for the general public. You, however, have no such persona to keep up. Therefore, you must start dating.”

“And that’s exactly how you get the reputation of a playboy,” Dick sighed. His eyes scanned the party again. Suddenly, he grabbed Damian’s arm. “Who’s that?”

Damian looked over to where Dick was staring. “Your best friend, West?”

“No, no,” Dick said. “There! Hiding in the shadows, in the red shirt and the black tie.”

“I don’t see-” Damian started to say. Then, he stopped. “Oh. I haven’t seen him before.” He scoffed. “Tt, who wears a _red_ shirt and a black tie?”

“Him, apparently,” Dick said, a bit dreamily. “He looks kind of confused. I’m going to go introduce myself.”

He hurried away before Damian could say another word. Dick practically flew down the stairs, hoping to get to the young man in the shadows before he left.

Dick spun around the corner and practically crashed into the man.

“Oh!” he cried, tripping over the plant and falling into the man’s arms.

“Oh, shit, are you okay?”

Dick looked up with wide eyes. “Yeah, I’m great,” he said dreamily.

The man’s eyes widened, obviously recognizing him. “Ah! Mr. Grayson, I’m so sorry.” He helped Dick to his feet again and with a quick nod at Dick started to go.

Dick grabbed his arm. “Wait!” Dick said. “Where are you going?”

“I… just outside,” the man in the red shirt said. “Need some air.”

“I’ll come with you!” Dick said cheerfully. He linked his arm through the man’s. The man sighed softly in defeat. Together, they started out towards the balcony. “I’ve never seen you around before,” Dick said. “Are you new to town?”

The young man smiled wryly. “I suppose you can say that.”

“What’s your name?” Dick asked. “You obviously know my name already.”

“Of course, you’re the man of the night. And I’m…” the stranger trailed off. Then, he smiled. “It doesn’t matter who I am.”

“C’mon,” Dick said. “At least give me the first letter,” Dick said.

The man gave him a thoughtful look. “J,” he finally said.

“J, huh?” Dick asked. “I like it.”

“My name could be something like Jinx for all you know.”

“A very interesting name,” Dick said. “Fit for a very interesting man.”

J laughed softly and slipped his arm from Dick’s. They had reached the balcony, and Dick was slightly disappointed to know that J was only escorting him and had no intentions of going any further.

“I mean, my name is Dick,” Dick said. “So I don’t really see how you can do worse than that.”

“My name could be Asshole.”

“But that starts with an A.”

J smiled at Dick, his lips curling up in a mysterious smile. He stared out over the gardens, then he looked up at the sky. “It’s beautiful,” he murmured.

“What, the sky?” Dick asked with a laugh. “Isn’t there something more beautiful though?”

J looked at him and smiled wider. “Yes,” he said. “The _sun_. Oh, what I would _give_ …”

Dick blinked at J, unsure of whether J was joking or not. But the dreamy look on J’s face, the same one that Dick had while staring at J, made Dick’s heart want it directed at him.

“Yes, the sun is very lovely,” he said. “It’s bright… and hot… and… bright.”

“And it just lights everything up so wonderfully,” J said with a happy sigh. “It warms up the cold earth, it wakes up all the birds and the baby animals who were all sleeping before. It’s just- It’s just so, so _beautiful_.”

“You’re beautiful,” Dick blurted out. He blushed, and he was glad it was dark outside. “J, I- I think you’re beautiful.”

J finally turned to look at him. His smile slowly died. “You think I’m- I’m beautiful?” he asked softly, like he was almost too scared to say it.

“Yes,” Dick said immediately. “I saw you tonight, and I just- I just had to have you.”

“Have me?” J asked, his voice growing a bit shrill. “I don’t- Mr. Grayson, I think you’re mistaken. You don’t want to have- to have _me_.”

“No, I’m most certain,” Dick said sincerely. He stepped forward, grabbing J’s hands. J stepped back. Dick noticed that J’s hands were rather rough and calloused. They were not the hands of one of Gotham’s elite. They were the hands of one who had done years of physical labor. But Dick could not find it in him to care. “If it’s not too crazy to say this, but I think I love you.”

“ _What?!”_

“Yeah,” Dick said. “Bruce hoped I would meet someone special during my birthday party,” he explained. “And I think I just found him.”

J pulled his hands from Dick’s. “Mr.- Mr. Grayson, I’m afraid you’re _seriously_ mistaken. You don’t even know who I am!”

“I don’t need to,” Dick assured. “You’re perfect! You’re handsome, you’re kind, you’re smart, you’re caring.”

“We’ve talked for ten minutes!” J replied, scandalized. “And I’m- I’m- not like you,” he choked out.

“Like me?” Dick echoed. “You mean, rich? Entitled? No, you’re _not_ , which is why you’re so perfect! I don’t _want_ someone like that!”

Suddenly, J let out a small squeak and he stiffened. He flinched quickly, and he started glancing at the balcony doors. “I- I’m sorry, I have to go!”

With that, he dashed through the doors and he was out of sight before Dick could even react.

~

Dick awaited the next night anxiously. He spent the entire day rambling about the mysterious J to Damian, who had absolutely no interest in Dick’s newfound infatuation.

When the hour of the party finally arrived, Dick could hardly contain his excitement. He was really hoping J would be back today. He needed another chance to redeem himself. He had to show J that he was serious.

But as the party started, and after several disappointing sweeps of the ballroom from both the stairs as well as the dance floor, Dick did not find his J.

But an hour before midnight, Dick saw him. He was hiding by the stairs, just looking. He wore a dark, wine red shirt today and he had silver tie. He looked dashing.

Dick darted over.

“J!” he said. He grabbed J’s wrist and without a second thought, started pulling him outside.

“Mr. Grayson!” J said in surprise.

Dick shut the balcony doors this time, and he pushed J against it, pressing himself against J.

“Call me Dick,” Dick said softly. “Please, I want to hear you say it.”

“Dick,” J said weakly. “What- What are you doing?”

“I’ve been thinking about you all day,” Dick said. “About your chiseled face, your gorgeous eyes, your kissable lips, your midnight hair… you’re so perfect, J.” Dick then took a step back to give J some room to breathe. “I was serious last night, you know? I want to court you, to date you. Publically. If you’re not comfortable with being public, at least give me a chance to date you privately first.”

“You’re- You’re serious,” J squeaked.

“Yes, I’m serious,” Dick said with a frown. “I’ve said that like, eight times now.”

J took a deep breath. “How- How can I be sure? That you really love _me_.”

“How can I not love you?” Dick asked. “You’re perfect-”

“Yes, you think I _look_ perfect,” J said quickly, cutting Dick off. “But what if… I’m not perfect? What if- what if I have a super scarred back or something? What if I’m deaf in one ear?”

“Do you have a scarred back or a deaf ear?” Dick asked.

“No,” J said slowly. “But-”

“I wouldn’t care if you did,” Dick said, cutting J off this time. “I can feel that you’re perfect.” He pressed up to J again, his face just centimeters from J’s.

“You’re wrong,” J breathed. “I’m not-”

Dick kissed him. J let out a surprised noise at first, like he _honestly_ did not expect Dick to kiss him. What else would Dick be doing so close to him?

But after a few seconds of shock, J relaxed, even tentatively pressing back. Dick took this as an invitation to kiss him some more. J responded enthusiastically, matching him so perfectly.

Dick grabbed onto J’s neck to pull him down more, and J’s hands came to rest on Dick’s hips. Neither of them know how long they really kissed for.

But they moved from the balcony doors to against the balcony itself, then, they slipped onto the floor, and Dick ended up in J’s lap, kissing him all he can. They only broke to breathe when they absolutely had to.

Suddenly, J pulled back with a loud gasp. He was panting hard, staring at Dick, his lips slick with spit. Dick’s own dilated eyes stared back.

“I have to go, Dick,” J rasped.

“So early?” Dick asked. “It’s barely midnight. Stay a little longer, J,” he pleaded.

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” J responded, gently easing Dick off his lap.

“Will you be back tomorrow?” Dick asked desperately, grabbing J’s wrist as he went for the balcony door.

J hesitated a second. “I will try,” he promised.

Dick beamed. He pulled J down for one more brief peck. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”

~

The next night, J was even later than the night before, making Dick antsy. The second their eyes met from across the ballroom, Dick was rushing towards him. He grabbed J and together they ran into the Manor.

“Where are we going?” J asked.

“My room,” Dick giggled.

“Wh-Why?” J asked.

“You’ll see,” Dick promised.

They ended up making out against Dick’s door. Then, Dick’s jacket, tie, and shirt came off followed by J’s jacket and tie. Dick did not even notice what color they were tonight.

Dick wrapped his legs around J’s waist. They kissed each other desperately all the way to Dick’s bed. Both of their pants came off, and Dick was scrambling for the lube, roughly prepping himself. He coated J’s hard cock lovingly, all the while staring up at the man.

“I want you to take me,” Dick said softly. He fell back onto his back and spread his legs. “Take me, J.”

J shuffled between Dick’s legs, positioning him at the Dick’s entrance. “I’m going to push in now,” he said softly.

Dick nodded.

J slowly thrust into Dick, and Dick moaned softly, feeling as J split him open. It hurt a bit, but it was also so fulfilling. Dick gestured for J to come lean over him so they could keep making out while J fucked him into the bed.

“Make love to me, J,” Dick whispered with a smile.

J swallowed hard. “Okay,” he whispered back. “I will.” With that, he started fucking Dick hard, pistoning his hips into Dick. Dick moaned into J’s mouth as he was fucked, stars exploding in front of his eyes with every hard thrust.

His dull nails dug into J’s back, creating deep indents and long scratches. J never complained however. It did not take very long for either of them to reach their climax. Dick was satisfied but tired.

J rolled off of him and Dick turned to smile lazily at J, who looked even more beautiful in the moonlight.

“Will you tell me your name now?” Dick asked softly. “You have seen all of me now.”

Still, J hesitated.

Dick gave a sad chuckle. “You still do not trust me,” he realized. He sighed softly. “I suppose… I expected too much from you,” he said. “I do love you, you know?”

“I know,” J replied, his voice thick with emotion. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” Dick murmured. He traced J’s jaw with his thumb. “You have no reason to be sorry.”

J said nothing in response.

“Will you give me a chance?” Dick asked instead. “Let me court you. Show you that I’m worthy of being loved.”

“I know you’re worthy of love, Dick,” J said. “You’re more than worthy. You’ve just been looking in the wrong place.”

“You don’t think you can love me.”

J was silent for a second. “No, I don’t think I can.”

“I will _give_ you the sun, J,” Dick said, a pleading note to his voice. “If that’s what it takes.”

“That’s impossible, Dick,” J said with an amused smile.

“Isn’t that what you want?” Dick asked. “The impossible? I’ll do it. I’ll give it all to you, J.”

“You shouldn’t promise your love so easily,” J said. “Especially to some random stranger. They can very easily use it to manipulate you.”

“You’re different,” Dick insisted.

“I won’t manipulate you,” J agreed. “But… I could still be a bad man.”

“No, you’re good,” Dick assured. “I know it.”

“Hm,” J chuckled humorlessly.

Just then, somewhere in the distance, the grandfather clock chimed. It was midnight.

J was up in a flash, pulling his pants on hastily and slipping his shirt on, unbuttoned. He grabbed the tie and the jacket.

“Wait, J!” Dick called, scrambling to go after J.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” J repeated. “I have to go, Dick!”

“Will I ever see you again?” Dick asked.

J hesitated just a split second at the door, giving Dick half a glance back. Then, he ran.

~

“So you slept with some random guy and now you want to go find him,” Damian asked in a bored tone. “Do you know how outrageous you sound? There are millions of men in Gotham. Will you look through them all?”

“He was around my age,” Dick insisted. “Maybe a little older, maybe a little younger, I couldn’t be too sure. He probably is not as old as Bruce, and definitely not as young as you. He is about six feet tall, and he has rough hands,” Dick said. “He loves the sun, birds, and baby animals. His eyes sparkle like they’re filled with diamonds, and his laugh is like thunder rumbling in the distance for the first spring storm.”

“Tt,” Damian scoffed. “You know who that sounds like to me?”

Dick’s eyes lit up. “Who?”

“A lovesick idiot.”

“Dami,” Dick sighed softly. “I know I’m in love. And I know he’s the one! Bruce wanted me to find someone, right?”

“You didn’t even get his name, Grayson,” Damian said. “How do you propose you find him?”

Dick sank lower into the couch. “I don’t… know.”

Damian pursed his lips. “Look, Grayson,” he said. “I suggest you wait a bit. See if these… feelings go away. If not, you may search.”

“They might not even be in Gotham anymore by then,” Dick moaned.

“Then you better start searching.”

~

Dick ended up in the kitchens, moping over a plate of cookies.

“It’s so unfair!” Dick complained.

The cooks looked over at him but said nothing.

Dick shoved another bite of cookie into his mouth. “Why is it that nothing ever works out in my life?” he asked. “Thanks for the cookies, Maddie,” he mumbled sadly.

The head baker gave him a short nod.

“Where’s Roman?” Dick asked. “Isn’t he supposed to be starting dinner?”

“Oh, he’s telling off the-” one of the young assistant cooks started to say, but she was quickly elbowed in the ribs by Maddie.

Dick frowned. “Telling off who?” he asked.

The cook shook her head. “Nobody,” she said.

Dick huffed. “Can you at _least_ tell me where I can find him then?”

The cooks were silent.

Then, Maddie spoke up. Maddie rarely spoke, so when she had something to say, people listened. “Take the servants’ way down to the servants’ quarters,” she said, her voice a bit raspy and low. “The last door at the end. Has bolts on the door.”

Dick’s eyebrows furrowed with each word, not understanding what Maddie was talking about. But as soon as she finished, she went back to rolling her dough for pie.

So Dick set out to follow the instructions Maddie gave him. He found the servants’ passage easily enough, having seen Alfred appearing from them a multitude of times when he was growing up.

Dick had not been in the servants’ passage since the older man passed. But he took a deep breath and stepped through the door that blended in with the wall. It was a more narrow, dimmer hallway. Dick followed it down to the servants’ quarters in the East Wing of the Manor. He hurried down the hall to the very last door. It had bolts on the door, as Maddie said it would.

But the last door was not the door of a bedroom. It was the door of a _storage closet_.

Dick frowned, looking at the bolts. Some were locked, some unlocked. There were four in total.

Dick reached into his pocket and pulled out his skeleton key, hoping it would open the two locked bolts.

Miraculously, with some jingling and soft cursing, they came undone. Dick slowly pushed the door open, afraid of what he might find inside.

Immediately, Dick was met with the strong smell of blood. He nearly gagged, but he was glad he did not find a dead body hanging inside. However, what he did find was almost worse.

The closet was about 5 square feet in size, and a tiny cot had been shoved against the wall, taking up most of the room. It was completely dark in the room, but as Dick pushed the door open, sunlight flooded into the room.

Dick saw something shaking on the cot, accompanied by muffled sniffling and sobbing.

Dick’s eyes landed on the crumpled shirt on the ground, ripped to shreds and the pale back facing him. It had several parallel red lines running down it, obviously made by someone’s nails.

Dick dropped to his knees. “J?” he whispered, barely daring to say it.

Dick put a hand on the bare shoulder, gently turning the person over. He had his hands over his face, still crying.

“Oh my god, J, who did this to you?” Dick whispered. “I- You’re bleeding! Let me see, _please_.”

J sniffled and shook his head, keeping his face covered.

“Please, J! I just want to help you. Let me help you.”

Slowly, J slowly lowered his hands. His face was a mess of bruises and cuts. Dick’s heart clenched.

“Oh my _god_ ,” Dick whispered, his voice strangled. “Tell me who did this to you, please,” Dick begged.

J shook his head violently.

It suddenly clicked in Dick’s mind. He put two and two together. “It was that damned head cook, wasn’t it?” he snarled. “I knew that filthy man was up to no good from the second he replaced Alfred! I’m going to kill him.”

He stood up, ready to hunt Roman down and throw him out the nearest window. But J grabbed his wrist.

“N-No,” he croaked out.

Dick was back on his knees in a second. “I’m going to get rid of him, and you’ll be okay!” Dick explained. “J, whatever he did to you, he’s not going to get away with it, okay? He works for _me_. Well, Bruce, but same thing.”

J shook his head again. “You- You can’t,” he whispered, his voice coming out distorted through his split lips and swollen throat. “He’s… all I- I have.”

“What does that mean?” Dick asked. “Look what he’s been doing to you!”

“T-Took me i-in,” J whispered. “No- No one wanted… me.”

“ _I_ want you, J,” Dick practically pleaded. “ _I_ want you.”

“He- He can- can control them,” J insisted. “Need him.”

“Can control _what_?” Dick asked. “J, please, he’s hurting you!”

“Why the fuck is the door open, Jason?!” came a roar from the hall. A second later, someone appeared in the doorway.

Dick stood up and found himself face to face with the cook, Roman.

The fury on Roman’s face quickly shifted to nervousness. “Mr. G-Grayson!”

Dick had no time for pleasantries. He punched Roman square in the nose. His own fingers cracked and he forced back a whimper. He followed the punch up with a solid kick between the man’s legs.

“You’re fucking disgusting, you know that?” Dick spat.

Roman groaned and rolled over. “You don’t- You don’t understand,” he wheezed. “He’s not normal. He’s- He’s a fucking freak! A monster!”

There was a quiet whimper from J.

Dick stomped his foot down on Roman’s nose again. He winced when he heard the crack of bone breaking as well as the blood spurting everywhere.

“You’re the monster,” he finished.

After that, Dick tried to carry Jason away, but he sorely miscalculated his own strength. He nearly dropped Jason.

“Oh, fuck,” he wheezed. He threw Jason’s arm over his shoulder instead. “Sorry, you gotta walk, J.”

~

J, who Dick soon learned was actually named Jason, was brought to Dick’s room, and he was treated right in Dick’s bed, with Dick waiting vigilantly beside him.

Maddie came in to visit at one point, and Dick saw how she tenderly held Jason’s hand for a second.

She looked at Dick. “Thank you,” she said softly.

Dick nodded tightly, gripping Jason’s other hand like his life depended on it. Dick sat by Jason’s bed all through the night, just waiting for Jason to come to and talk to him.

Around midnight, Dick started drifting off, exhausted from the day’s events.

Suddenly, he was jerked awake by something touching his face. He nearly screamed when he saw the large snake-like thing floating in front of his face. Instead he squeaked loudly and nearly fell backwards.

The tentacle was not at all bothered by his outburst and stroked his face, running itself through his hair. Dick was nearly frozen in shock. He followed the tentacles body until he realized that it came out of Jason’s back.

“Oh my god,” he whispered. A second later, another tentacle peeked out from around Jason. It headed straight for him, following the first tentacle’s lead and just touching every part of him excitedly. Dick let out a slightly hysterical giggle. That was what Roman had meant when he said Jason was a monster.

But the tentacles were harmless! They were soon joined by a third, and all they wanted to do was explore. They soon lost interest in Dick and started touching the bed, the lamp, the carpet, going through the drawers. It was a little bit endearing.

“Jason,” Dick whispered with a fond shake of his head. “Did you think you’d scare me off with these?” He reached out to stroke one of the three tentacles. It wrapped itself up his arm, holding onto him tightly. “They’re adorable.”

The tentacle pulled Dick over until he was on the bed as well. The other two tentacles pushed Dick down so that he was lying next to Jason. Then, they let go of him and continued their own explorations.

Dick smiled and fell asleep snuggled against Jason.

He was more than convinced now that there was nothing Jason could do to scare him away now.

~

Jason seemed to have no recollection of much of what happened the day before. He was in a daze, unable to believe what Dick was saying was real. But Dick was not too bothered about that. He was just glad that Jason was awake and that Jason was okay.

He stayed by Jason’s side all day, gently spoon-feeding him soft foods Maddie made for Jason to eat. Jason was a little annoyed by all the constant babying and attention, but he did not complain.

However, Dick did leave Jason alone once for the doctors to check him over. He went down to the kitchens to talk to Maddie, who explained to him Jason’s story.

Jason had been found at fifteen by Roman one night. Roman thought it would be good to have an assistant of sorts, so he took Jason in. However, Roman soon found out about Jason’s tentacles and started mistreating him, using that to manipulate Jason into believing that he _is_ a monster. That made Dick’s blood boil.

Jason was locked away from the world, and he was only allowed out on occasion to help out in the kitchens when they were extra busy.

For example, the nights of Dick’s birthday. Maddie had always felt pity for the boy, so when she saw how forlornly he watched the partygoers, she “borrowed” a suit for Jason to wear, helped him clean up, and send him to the party to watch, but not be seen, especially not by Roman.

Jason had to leave before midnight because at midnight, his tentacles come out. However, Jason begged to go back for the last two nights as well, and because Jason had never asked for anything, Maddie relented. However, the third night, Jason was late, and Roman returned early.

He caught Jason and punished him severely. None of the cooks could do anything against Roman. They could only listen to Jason’s pitiful cries. Dick was both sad and angry at the same time. He wanted to smash Roman’s face in again, but the man had already been carted off to jail. All he could do was comfort Jason and coddle him.

However, as night fell and Dick settled in next to Jason again, Jason panicked.

“Wait- You can’t-”

“What do you mean?” Dick asked.

Jason shook his head. “You’re- You’re not safe with me.”

“Of course I am,” Dick scoffed. “If you’re talking about your tentacles, they love me.” He snuggled into the bed. “Come sleep.”

“You- You know about them?” Jason asked in a hushed voice. “How are you not dead?”

“They’re the cutest things ever,” Dick laughed.

“But they- they’re vicious!” Jason said, baffled. “All they did was attack Roman!”

“Probably because Roman deserved to be attacked,” Dick pointed out. “Maybe they reacted to your feelings of fear of Roman. They were trying to protect you.”

“But…”

“Trust me,” Dick said. “They’re perfectly harmless.”

“They didn’t hurt you last night?” Jason whispered.

Dick shook his head. “Not even a bit.”

Jason swallowed hard and nodded. “If you say so,” he whispered.

“Then come to sleep?”

Jason slowly lowered himself onto the bed next to Dick. Dick pulled the covers up to their chins and turned towards Jason.

“Hi,” he whispered with a smile.

Jason returned the silly grin with a smile of his own. “Hey.”

“I love you,” Dick whispered.

Jason’s smile grew a bit tighter. “I… love you… too.”

“You don’t have to say it,” Dick promised. “Until you’re ready and comfortable, I’ll wait.”

“Okay,” Jason said.

“And don’t worry. I know,” Dick assured.

Jason smiled. Dick tucked his head gently against Jason’s shoulder. As he slowly started drifting off to sleep, he felt something curl around his waist and his torso, pulling him just a tiny bit closer.


End file.
